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लोक मंच : इसरो का नया मुकाम (16/02/2017)
Source Channel: Lok Sabha TV
Source Channel: Lok Sabha TV
ISRO General News and Updates
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Kshatriya87
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ISRO to launch GSLV Mark-III soon
NEW DELHI: After putting a record 104 satellites into orbit with a single launch, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is now preparing to launch Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mark-III) in few months.
This was revealed by former ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair while delivering the inaugural address at the 3rd ORF-Kalpana Chawla Annual Space Policy Dialogue being organised by key think tank Observer Research Foundation here from February 16 to 18.
Noting that India is yet to make any significant progress in the aviation sector, Mr. Nair suggested setting up an Integrated Space Development Agency for helping build civil aviation vehicles.
Nair, who was also the president of the International Academy of Astronautics, said ISRO has been able to make great progress and deliver according to schedules, making the country proud. “If we can do so well in rockets and satellites, why not in the aviation sector?” he asked, adding that he was sure that India will be able to build aviation vehicles, provided there was political will and determination.
“ISRO has once again done a great job. I am proud to stand before you today, a day after it put a record 104 satellites into orbit with a single launch,” Mr Nair said adding India would be launching Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mark-III) in few months.
However, he said India should now aim at much bigger targets, like tapping helium 3 from planets, manned Moon and Mars Mission and developing aircrafts. He was sure that we have the capacity and skill to develop such technologies.
He drew the attention to the increasing debris in outerspace and the need for international efforts to remove such debris which is becoming a danger.
Talking about the benefits of our advances in the space in other spheres,
Nair praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his efforts in using social aspects extensively and pushing others ministers to do so.
Nair said the reason for the failure of flight, in which Indian-origin US astronaut Kalpana Chawla died, was the human error and not an engineering problem. He narrated how such human mistakes had twice resulted in failures of launch during his career as well.
“We learnt from each mistakes and that is what makes ISRO stands out,” he remarked, saying ISRO developed technologies on its own and did not copy from anywhere.
Saying the government alone cannot do everything, Nair said what is needed is private-public partnership in this field as well.
Nair on the occasion also released the book ‘Space India 2.0: Commerce, Policy, Security and Governance Perspectives’, authored by Dr Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, Head of ORF’s Space and Nuclear Initiative, and Narayan Prasad, Co-Founder of Dhruva Space.
Noting that India has come a long way to become one of the key actors in outer space, ORF Director Sunjoy Joshi impressed on the need for extending the benefits of technology right down to the bottom of the pyramid, developing space security doctrine, defence space agency, expansion of Integrated Space Cell and evolution of a comprehensive space policy.
With nano satellites with limited lives are going to make increasingly congested, Joshi said we will need new global frameworks and rules and norms so that space is efficiently utilised and not cluttered and potential of space for all nations is preserved and protected.
“India’s stand has always favoured rules that are democratic and non-discriminatory and outer space is no exception,” Joshi said.
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Technical Adviser Yasushi Horikawa stressed the urgent need for creating some kind of international mechanism to clean outerspace of debris.
Prof. Horikawa said a consensus for final best practices should be arrived at towards 2018 for better outerspace utilisation for all space-faring countries.
The ORF-Kalpana Chawla Space Policy Dialogue is having sessions on 'Space Finance', 'Transponder Capacity for Broadcasting and Broadband over India', 'Collective Governance of the Global Commons', 'Derivatives Space-scoping the Downstream Applications', 'Emerging Space Actors', 'Making the Case for India's Space Policy', 'A New Frontier: Boosting India's Military Presence in Outer Space' and 'Space Sustainability and Global Governance'.
NEW DELHI: After putting a record 104 satellites into orbit with a single launch, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is now preparing to launch Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mark-III) in few months.
This was revealed by former ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair while delivering the inaugural address at the 3rd ORF-Kalpana Chawla Annual Space Policy Dialogue being organised by key think tank Observer Research Foundation here from February 16 to 18.
Noting that India is yet to make any significant progress in the aviation sector, Mr. Nair suggested setting up an Integrated Space Development Agency for helping build civil aviation vehicles.
Nair, who was also the president of the International Academy of Astronautics, said ISRO has been able to make great progress and deliver according to schedules, making the country proud. “If we can do so well in rockets and satellites, why not in the aviation sector?” he asked, adding that he was sure that India will be able to build aviation vehicles, provided there was political will and determination.
“ISRO has once again done a great job. I am proud to stand before you today, a day after it put a record 104 satellites into orbit with a single launch,” Mr Nair said adding India would be launching Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mark-III) in few months.
However, he said India should now aim at much bigger targets, like tapping helium 3 from planets, manned Moon and Mars Mission and developing aircrafts. He was sure that we have the capacity and skill to develop such technologies.
He drew the attention to the increasing debris in outerspace and the need for international efforts to remove such debris which is becoming a danger.
Talking about the benefits of our advances in the space in other spheres,
Nair praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his efforts in using social aspects extensively and pushing others ministers to do so.
Nair said the reason for the failure of flight, in which Indian-origin US astronaut Kalpana Chawla died, was the human error and not an engineering problem. He narrated how such human mistakes had twice resulted in failures of launch during his career as well.
“We learnt from each mistakes and that is what makes ISRO stands out,” he remarked, saying ISRO developed technologies on its own and did not copy from anywhere.
Saying the government alone cannot do everything, Nair said what is needed is private-public partnership in this field as well.
Nair on the occasion also released the book ‘Space India 2.0: Commerce, Policy, Security and Governance Perspectives’, authored by Dr Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, Head of ORF’s Space and Nuclear Initiative, and Narayan Prasad, Co-Founder of Dhruva Space.
Noting that India has come a long way to become one of the key actors in outer space, ORF Director Sunjoy Joshi impressed on the need for extending the benefits of technology right down to the bottom of the pyramid, developing space security doctrine, defence space agency, expansion of Integrated Space Cell and evolution of a comprehensive space policy.
With nano satellites with limited lives are going to make increasingly congested, Joshi said we will need new global frameworks and rules and norms so that space is efficiently utilised and not cluttered and potential of space for all nations is preserved and protected.
“India’s stand has always favoured rules that are democratic and non-discriminatory and outer space is no exception,” Joshi said.
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Technical Adviser Yasushi Horikawa stressed the urgent need for creating some kind of international mechanism to clean outerspace of debris.
Prof. Horikawa said a consensus for final best practices should be arrived at towards 2018 for better outerspace utilisation for all space-faring countries.
The ORF-Kalpana Chawla Space Policy Dialogue is having sessions on 'Space Finance', 'Transponder Capacity for Broadcasting and Broadband over India', 'Collective Governance of the Global Commons', 'Derivatives Space-scoping the Downstream Applications', 'Emerging Space Actors', 'Making the Case for India's Space Policy', 'A New Frontier: Boosting India's Military Presence in Outer Space' and 'Space Sustainability and Global Governance'.
Kshatriya87
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ISRO: A look at the history of India's space agency by one of its first rocket scientists
Editor's note: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) set a record by launching 104 satellites on board a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) flight on 15 February. Amid the keen interest all over the globe in ISRO's feat, a new book, published by HarperCollins India, promises to further illuminate the space agency's history.
Narrated by ISRO pioneer R Aravamudan, ISRO: A Personal History, tells the gripping story of the people who built India’s space research programme and how they did it — from the rocket engineers who laid the foundation to the savvy young engineers who keep Indian spaceships flying today. It is the tale of an Indian organisation that defied international bans and embargos, worked with laughably meagre resources, evolved its own technology and grew into a major space power. Today, ISRO creates, builds and launches gigantic rockets which carry the complex spacecraft that form the neural network not just of our own country but those of other countries too. This is a made-in-India story like no other.
The following is an excerpt from ISRO: A Personal History, in which Aravamudan and his wife and co-author Gita Aravamudan, describe how Sriharikota became the site for the organisation's launches. Sriharikota's Satish Dhawan Space Centre was the site for the recent PSLV-C36 launch as well.
***
...By the mid-1960s, our sounding rocket launches were increasing in frequency and we were on a major expansion programme. Exciting new plans for the development of satellites and satellite launch vehicles were on the anvil. The team in charge of finding an east-facing site for launching big rockets had zeroed in on an island off the southern coast of Andhra. The new site, Sriharikota, was about 100 km north of Madras city. In the 1960s, Sriharikota was a remote, almost unapproachable island occupied only by the Yenadi tribals who lived in the forest. The Andhra government used this island for planting eucalyptus and casuarina trees which were then transported to places like Madras for use as firewood.
Photo courtesy: HarperCollins India
An east-facing site was sought so that we could get some additional impetus from the earth’s rotational movement while launching satellites. The Andhra government provided large tracts of reserve forestland for the launch activity. They also actively helped in the acquisition of the required private land for the experimental launches as we would need a large safety zone to be cleared of human habitation in view of the
hazardous nature of the proposed activities.
It was at this juncture that Sarabhai’s first formal visit to Sriharikota was arranged in coordination with the Andhra government. Preliminary work for the visit, such as coordination with the state government, liaison with the local authorities, clearing of temporary jeep tracks in the
forest area and so on, was undertaken by the civil engineers under the guidance of RD John, our site engineer. Since the legendary Buckingham Canal was to be traversed by the visiting team, the waterway traffic had to be suspended for a few days and a temporary bridge strong enough to allow the passage of jeeps had to be rigged up. This was done by stacking boats abreast and fixing sturdy wooden planks over them. This caused a pile-up of boats laden with cargo on either side of the temporary structure until the visit was over.
On the morning of the visit the retinue assembled at Sullurpeta where Sarabhai and other dignitaries were met by the Andhra government officials. Our team included senior personnel from Thumba, engineers and officials from DAE, Sarabhai and his close advisors including Chitnis, MGK Menon, MA Vellodi and a host of other specialists. Somehow all our major ventures in those early years were destined to be baptised in churches, for it was in a church property that we first assembled even in Sullurpeta.
After a hearty breakfast, the team piled into a number of jeeps and moved in a convoy towards Pulicat Lake. It was summer and the water level was low. The vehicles could actually pass over the dry lake bed. The tough patches had been filled with dry leaves and branches by the advance team and the jeeps could pass through easily.
After a few kilometres we reached Buckingham Canal. The entire team had to get out of the vehicles so that the empty jeeps could cross the temporary bridge. We walked across and boarded the jeeps again to resume the trip. It was like a jungle safari. The freshly created track was made of logs hewn out of the forest trees, and the path was reinforced with branches and foliage cut and spread by the advance party. It was quite an adventure for our young and energetic city crowd. The most enthusiastic was Sarabhai, who was in his late forties at that time. Many times the jeeps got stuck in the sand and we had to get out and push. A few vehicles broke down and had to be abandoned. One even caught fire and had to be doused with sand.
R Aravamudan with colleague and former president, the late APJ Abdul Kalam. Photo courtesy: HarperCollins India
At long last, the Bay of Bengal sparkled before us. We had covered just 20 km, but we felt as if we had battled through miles of jungle! We had got used to our little coastal station in Thumba with the gushing Arabian Sea and the lines of swaying coconut palms. But this beach was very different — and equally beautiful.
There wasn’t too much time to savour the scenery, though. We got out of our jeeps and were given a quick briefing. Then we started walking along the seashore, surveying possible locations for the launch pad and other associated structures. I was quite tired and so were my colleagues, but Sarabhai was as fresh as a breeze. Actually we found it difficult to keep pace with him as he covered almost 10 km by foot in the sand!
The coastal length of our new area was almost 40 km. The place had sporadic fishing activity. The local Yenadi who were native to the area were hunter-gatherers. For generations they had lived mainly on forest produce. Although they were a small group, they had to be protected and kept safe from the proposed launch activities.
The forest had a large acreage of casuarina plantations developed by the forest department and a wide variety of natural vegetation, mainly consisting of bushes and wild trees. A number of birds and animals including monkeys, jackals, rabbits and wild pigs roamed the forests. There were stories of occasional sightings of leopards and cheetahs. But what was remarkable was the presence of huge herds of wild cattle. Thousands of them roamed around freely all over the island. At that time we didn’t know about the huge flocks of flamingoes and other exotic waterbirds, such as the painted storks and pelicans, which came to Pulicat in the winter.
We spent a few hours on the site and started back inland. After a gruelling drive we reached a forest rest house. A small gathering of tribals and local forest workers had been assembled by the local collector who had briefed them of the proposed visit of the VIPs.
ISRO: A Personal History, by R Aravamudan and Gita Aravamudan
The Yenadi were a totally isolated community. Many had not even seen a bicycle, as they had never gone out of the island. It was difficult to believe that this was the 1960s and we were standing on an island not too far from Madras. In retrospect I think the sight of so many vehicles and city folks must have been quite overwhelming for them. The Yenadi had been told that someone very important would address them. He would tell them about the great things the government would bring to the island and how it would benefit them. I think they assumed that Sarabhai was some kind of raja!
Sarabhai’s English speech was translated for them by the district collector. He described his plans to them and told them that Sriharikota would become a nationally important place. They listened with great attention but I wonder if they really understood what he said! The Andhra government had arranged a ceremonial lunch in the local school building. It was like a grand wedding feast. Since Dr Sarabhai was a
vegetarian the meal had the choicest of Andhra vegetarian delicacies.
Sarabhai asked the well-known architects Pithavadian and Partners to design the facilities and the associated housing colonies. Since Sriharikota was a cyclone prone area, the colony had to be built to withstand heavy winds and rain. Interestingly, the Yenadi who had lived there for generations had perfected their simple thatched structures by modifying their shapes to withstand the cyclones. Soon, RD John began work on the basic amenities on the island. The Sriharikota Range was ready by 1971. It was a modest facility by international standards; no one at that time would ever have imagined how rapidly it would grow, transforming into one of the most important spaceports in the world.
ISRO: A Personal History, published by HarperCollins India | Paperback | 256 pages | Rs 399
R Aravamudan is an award-winning senior scientist who served as the director of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota and of the ISRO Satellite Centre, Bengaluru. Gita Aravamudan is a veteran journalist and author.
Editor's note: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) set a record by launching 104 satellites on board a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) flight on 15 February. Amid the keen interest all over the globe in ISRO's feat, a new book, published by HarperCollins India, promises to further illuminate the space agency's history.
Narrated by ISRO pioneer R Aravamudan, ISRO: A Personal History, tells the gripping story of the people who built India’s space research programme and how they did it — from the rocket engineers who laid the foundation to the savvy young engineers who keep Indian spaceships flying today. It is the tale of an Indian organisation that defied international bans and embargos, worked with laughably meagre resources, evolved its own technology and grew into a major space power. Today, ISRO creates, builds and launches gigantic rockets which carry the complex spacecraft that form the neural network not just of our own country but those of other countries too. This is a made-in-India story like no other.
The following is an excerpt from ISRO: A Personal History, in which Aravamudan and his wife and co-author Gita Aravamudan, describe how Sriharikota became the site for the organisation's launches. Sriharikota's Satish Dhawan Space Centre was the site for the recent PSLV-C36 launch as well.
***
...By the mid-1960s, our sounding rocket launches were increasing in frequency and we were on a major expansion programme. Exciting new plans for the development of satellites and satellite launch vehicles were on the anvil. The team in charge of finding an east-facing site for launching big rockets had zeroed in on an island off the southern coast of Andhra. The new site, Sriharikota, was about 100 km north of Madras city. In the 1960s, Sriharikota was a remote, almost unapproachable island occupied only by the Yenadi tribals who lived in the forest. The Andhra government used this island for planting eucalyptus and casuarina trees which were then transported to places like Madras for use as firewood.
Photo courtesy: HarperCollins India
An east-facing site was sought so that we could get some additional impetus from the earth’s rotational movement while launching satellites. The Andhra government provided large tracts of reserve forestland for the launch activity. They also actively helped in the acquisition of the required private land for the experimental launches as we would need a large safety zone to be cleared of human habitation in view of the
hazardous nature of the proposed activities.
It was at this juncture that Sarabhai’s first formal visit to Sriharikota was arranged in coordination with the Andhra government. Preliminary work for the visit, such as coordination with the state government, liaison with the local authorities, clearing of temporary jeep tracks in the
forest area and so on, was undertaken by the civil engineers under the guidance of RD John, our site engineer. Since the legendary Buckingham Canal was to be traversed by the visiting team, the waterway traffic had to be suspended for a few days and a temporary bridge strong enough to allow the passage of jeeps had to be rigged up. This was done by stacking boats abreast and fixing sturdy wooden planks over them. This caused a pile-up of boats laden with cargo on either side of the temporary structure until the visit was over.
On the morning of the visit the retinue assembled at Sullurpeta where Sarabhai and other dignitaries were met by the Andhra government officials. Our team included senior personnel from Thumba, engineers and officials from DAE, Sarabhai and his close advisors including Chitnis, MGK Menon, MA Vellodi and a host of other specialists. Somehow all our major ventures in those early years were destined to be baptised in churches, for it was in a church property that we first assembled even in Sullurpeta.
After a hearty breakfast, the team piled into a number of jeeps and moved in a convoy towards Pulicat Lake. It was summer and the water level was low. The vehicles could actually pass over the dry lake bed. The tough patches had been filled with dry leaves and branches by the advance team and the jeeps could pass through easily.
After a few kilometres we reached Buckingham Canal. The entire team had to get out of the vehicles so that the empty jeeps could cross the temporary bridge. We walked across and boarded the jeeps again to resume the trip. It was like a jungle safari. The freshly created track was made of logs hewn out of the forest trees, and the path was reinforced with branches and foliage cut and spread by the advance party. It was quite an adventure for our young and energetic city crowd. The most enthusiastic was Sarabhai, who was in his late forties at that time. Many times the jeeps got stuck in the sand and we had to get out and push. A few vehicles broke down and had to be abandoned. One even caught fire and had to be doused with sand.
R Aravamudan with colleague and former president, the late APJ Abdul Kalam. Photo courtesy: HarperCollins India
At long last, the Bay of Bengal sparkled before us. We had covered just 20 km, but we felt as if we had battled through miles of jungle! We had got used to our little coastal station in Thumba with the gushing Arabian Sea and the lines of swaying coconut palms. But this beach was very different — and equally beautiful.
There wasn’t too much time to savour the scenery, though. We got out of our jeeps and were given a quick briefing. Then we started walking along the seashore, surveying possible locations for the launch pad and other associated structures. I was quite tired and so were my colleagues, but Sarabhai was as fresh as a breeze. Actually we found it difficult to keep pace with him as he covered almost 10 km by foot in the sand!
The coastal length of our new area was almost 40 km. The place had sporadic fishing activity. The local Yenadi who were native to the area were hunter-gatherers. For generations they had lived mainly on forest produce. Although they were a small group, they had to be protected and kept safe from the proposed launch activities.
The forest had a large acreage of casuarina plantations developed by the forest department and a wide variety of natural vegetation, mainly consisting of bushes and wild trees. A number of birds and animals including monkeys, jackals, rabbits and wild pigs roamed the forests. There were stories of occasional sightings of leopards and cheetahs. But what was remarkable was the presence of huge herds of wild cattle. Thousands of them roamed around freely all over the island. At that time we didn’t know about the huge flocks of flamingoes and other exotic waterbirds, such as the painted storks and pelicans, which came to Pulicat in the winter.
We spent a few hours on the site and started back inland. After a gruelling drive we reached a forest rest house. A small gathering of tribals and local forest workers had been assembled by the local collector who had briefed them of the proposed visit of the VIPs.
ISRO: A Personal History, by R Aravamudan and Gita Aravamudan
The Yenadi were a totally isolated community. Many had not even seen a bicycle, as they had never gone out of the island. It was difficult to believe that this was the 1960s and we were standing on an island not too far from Madras. In retrospect I think the sight of so many vehicles and city folks must have been quite overwhelming for them. The Yenadi had been told that someone very important would address them. He would tell them about the great things the government would bring to the island and how it would benefit them. I think they assumed that Sarabhai was some kind of raja!
Sarabhai’s English speech was translated for them by the district collector. He described his plans to them and told them that Sriharikota would become a nationally important place. They listened with great attention but I wonder if they really understood what he said! The Andhra government had arranged a ceremonial lunch in the local school building. It was like a grand wedding feast. Since Dr Sarabhai was a
vegetarian the meal had the choicest of Andhra vegetarian delicacies.
Sarabhai asked the well-known architects Pithavadian and Partners to design the facilities and the associated housing colonies. Since Sriharikota was a cyclone prone area, the colony had to be built to withstand heavy winds and rain. Interestingly, the Yenadi who had lived there for generations had perfected their simple thatched structures by modifying their shapes to withstand the cyclones. Soon, RD John began work on the basic amenities on the island. The Sriharikota Range was ready by 1971. It was a modest facility by international standards; no one at that time would ever have imagined how rapidly it would grow, transforming into one of the most important spaceports in the world.
ISRO: A Personal History, published by HarperCollins India | Paperback | 256 pages | Rs 399
R Aravamudan is an award-winning senior scientist who served as the director of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota and of the ISRO Satellite Centre, Bengaluru. Gita Aravamudan is a veteran journalist and author.
Kshatriya87
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Why ISRO’s Rockets Are Not Competing With Falcon 9 or Ariane 5
ISRO is a state-backed, not market-driven, organisation, while its two launchers were conceived 30-40 years ago to meet specific domestic needs.
An Ariane 5ES lifts off, June 2013. Credit: dlr_de/Flickr, CC BY 2.0
After the PSLV C37 mission was successfully completed on February 15, multiple articles published in the media have been full of praise for ISRO. Granted, the C37 launch was awe-inspiring in its numbers and lent itself well to chest-thumping celebrations about how awesome ISRO is. But the words that many media outlets reserve for ISRO and its feats often give the impression that they believe the organisation is actually free from any blame, stain or fault. This will not do.
At the same time, this isn’t to say ISRO is doing badly. By all means, it did a wonderful job of the C37 mission, which was a unique example of how launch complexities need not be confined to the flight path or complex manoeuvres but can also include logistics, mission planning, payload integration, etc. The PSLV also has almost three dozen consecutive successes (in operational missions); the advanced CE20 cryogenic engine is almost ready after over 15 years of development; and the Indian space programme has launched an interplanetary probe and a space telescope, explored the moon, lifted over 200 satellites from 19 countries, and is planning advanced scientific missions to Mars and Venus.
But on the flipside, efforts to establish the significance of these accomplishments have increasingly led analysts in the media to compare ISRO’s launch costs with that of Roscosmos, Arianespace and SpaceX. They launch the Proton, Ariane 5 and Falcon 9 rockets, respectively. Specifically, many analysts compare launch costs of the PSLV – and not the GSLV Mk-III, whose first flight is due this year – with these rockets.
There are two problems here. First: The PSLV is a low-lift launch vehicle that can’t deploy more than 1,400 kg of payload to the geostationary transfer orbit (GTO, 35,786 km above sea level). In contrast, Proton can carry 6,300 kg; Ariane 5, 10,500 kg; and Falcon 9, 8,300 kg – all to the GTO. Second: It is often cited that it costs ISRO $15 million to launch the PSLV and that it costs SpaceX around $62 million to launch a Falcon 9. Notwithstanding the first point: these numbers do not stand for what it costs to purchase a kilogram onboard these launchers. And in ISRO’s case, no one knows these numbers anyway, so claiming that PSLV is a “low-cost launcher” would be premature.
State-backed v. market-driven
A New Indian Express editorial penned in the wake of the C37 launch stayed clear of these misconceptions. However, it teetered on the brink of a different problem at its close:
ISRO is now the preferred agency for launching small satellites, thanks to its tried and tested PSLV. But the big money is in the heavy payloads. And, heavier satellites require the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). ISRO has the ambition and the ability to turn GSLV into its next warhorse.
This casting of the GSLV, presumably the Mk-III, as a super-soldier in the space-war arena – if that’s what it really is – could be misguided. Unlike SpaceX or Arianespace, but much like Roscosmos, ISRO is a state-backed space agency. It has a mandate from the Department of Space to be India’s primary launch-services provider and fulfil the needs of both private entities as well as the government, but government first, at least since that is how policies are currently oriented. This means the GSLV Mk-III has been developed keeping in mind the satellites India currently needs, or at least needs to launch without ISRO having to depend on foreign rockets.
A representative example is the GSAT satellite series, where each satellite weighs between three and four tonnes. Correspondingly, the Mk-III can lift up to 4,000 kg to the GTO. In the same vein, it is being developed according to what allocations it receives from the government as well as what priorities it can afford to set (for example: the prime minister recently asked ISRO to build a SAARC satellite, which the organisation must set time aside for). As it happens, even speculation about what the planned Reusable Launch Vehicle – expected to be ready around 2030 – will be used for has been centred around how it can improve India’s prospects in space. As M. Annadurai, the director of the ISRO Satellite Centre, Bengaluru, told Frontline magazine in June 2016:
From the overall launch vehicle point of view, now our efforts will be to match the satellites to this new RLV capability. RLV possibly can be used for, say, four-tonne satellites. Even for communication satellites, the present scenario of DTH and other things call for higher power, and because the overall mass of the satellites has gone up, it is still beyond the capability of our present launch vehicles. It is possible to have a configuration called all EPS – all electric propulsion system – even with four-tonne satellites, when with RLVs we can realise 6-6.5 tonne in LEO because satellites need not carry any fuel. Also, in case manned mission comes, RLV will be useful. Technologically, RLV will enable manned missions.
On the other hand, Arianespace and SpaceX are both almost exclusively market-driven, SpaceX less so because it was set up with the ostensible goal of colonising Mars. Nonetheless, en route to building the Falcon Heavy, the company has built a workhorse of its own in the Falcon 9. And either way, together with Arianespace, it has carved out a sizeable chunk of the satellite-launching market. For example, the heavier telecom-satellite launch contracts in 2015 were by:
Thus, though Antrix is tasked with maximising profits, ISRO shouldn’t bank on the commercial satellites market because its mix of priorities is more diverse than those of SpaceX or Arianespace.
Historical mandates for launchers
The PSLV is an extension of ISRO’s ASLV programme (the two launchers have an identical first stage). U.R. Rao writes about the PSLV’s origins in his book, India’s Rise as a Space Power, thus: “[It] was configured as an operational launch vehicle for launching 1,000 kg class of IRS remote sensing satellites into a polar Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 1,000 km from SHAR and a nominal azimuth of 140º” (p. 167). The official legacy of these specifications dates at least as far back as December 23, 1977, when Brahm Prakash, then director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (Thiruvananthapuram), constituted the ‘Committee on System Studies of Vehicle Configuration Options for SLV Variants’. (Slightly farther back if you factor in the work of M.S.R. Dev and A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.)
The GSLV, similarly, has been built to handle satellites like INSAT and GSAT – not to compete with the Ariane 5/6 or Falcon 9. As P.V. Manoranjan Rao and P. Radhakrishnan wrote in A Brief History of Rocketry in ISRO: “Kalpana, a meteorological satellite of ISRO, is an example. It weighed only 1,060 kg. However, we depended on foreign rockets to launch our INSATs. In order to fill this gap, the GSLV was conceived. The GSLV project obtained government approval in November 1990. The launch vehicle was to have the capability of injecting a 2,500-kg-class satellite into a GTO having perigee and apogee of 180km and 36,000 km, respectively” (p. 171).
Finally, while SpaceX and Arianespace profit from taking a larger bite out of the $300-billion satellite-launching industry, from government contracts and private investors, the single-largest source of income for ISRO, as those critiquing it have to be mindful, is the Indian government itself. Indeed, if it needs to augment this income (~Rs 9,000 crore, or $1.3 billion, in the 2017 Union budget) in an appreciable way – i.e. if it needs to increase to its market share from its current 0.6% – then the problems stretch far beyond the launchers alone and into matters of infrastructure, policy and, eventually, funding.
For example, as NewSpace enthusiast Narayan Prasad has written, “In the present model of engaging the local space industry in India, there is no extensive commercial exploitation of space infrastructure due to lack of deregulation and privatisation. Therefore, there is heavy reliance on the government for either space infrastructure to host services or orders to manufacture parts and systems.” An important, though not the only, step in alleviating this situation was ISRO’s decision to outsource PSLV launches from 2020 to a consortium of private industries led by Antrix.
For another, on the policymaking front itself, lawyer Ashok G.V. has argued, “The discretion vested with the committees and bodies under the [satellite communication] norms don’t come with deadlines prescribed for authorising [private parties to] launch satellite systems, nor is there an explicit policy framework for the exercise of such discretion – which potentially violates Article 14 of the Constitution.” And so forth.
ISRO is a state-backed, not market-driven, organisation, while its two launchers were conceived 30-40 years ago to meet specific domestic needs.
An Ariane 5ES lifts off, June 2013. Credit: dlr_de/Flickr, CC BY 2.0
After the PSLV C37 mission was successfully completed on February 15, multiple articles published in the media have been full of praise for ISRO. Granted, the C37 launch was awe-inspiring in its numbers and lent itself well to chest-thumping celebrations about how awesome ISRO is. But the words that many media outlets reserve for ISRO and its feats often give the impression that they believe the organisation is actually free from any blame, stain or fault. This will not do.
At the same time, this isn’t to say ISRO is doing badly. By all means, it did a wonderful job of the C37 mission, which was a unique example of how launch complexities need not be confined to the flight path or complex manoeuvres but can also include logistics, mission planning, payload integration, etc. The PSLV also has almost three dozen consecutive successes (in operational missions); the advanced CE20 cryogenic engine is almost ready after over 15 years of development; and the Indian space programme has launched an interplanetary probe and a space telescope, explored the moon, lifted over 200 satellites from 19 countries, and is planning advanced scientific missions to Mars and Venus.
But on the flipside, efforts to establish the significance of these accomplishments have increasingly led analysts in the media to compare ISRO’s launch costs with that of Roscosmos, Arianespace and SpaceX. They launch the Proton, Ariane 5 and Falcon 9 rockets, respectively. Specifically, many analysts compare launch costs of the PSLV – and not the GSLV Mk-III, whose first flight is due this year – with these rockets.
There are two problems here. First: The PSLV is a low-lift launch vehicle that can’t deploy more than 1,400 kg of payload to the geostationary transfer orbit (GTO, 35,786 km above sea level). In contrast, Proton can carry 6,300 kg; Ariane 5, 10,500 kg; and Falcon 9, 8,300 kg – all to the GTO. Second: It is often cited that it costs ISRO $15 million to launch the PSLV and that it costs SpaceX around $62 million to launch a Falcon 9. Notwithstanding the first point: these numbers do not stand for what it costs to purchase a kilogram onboard these launchers. And in ISRO’s case, no one knows these numbers anyway, so claiming that PSLV is a “low-cost launcher” would be premature.
State-backed v. market-driven
A New Indian Express editorial penned in the wake of the C37 launch stayed clear of these misconceptions. However, it teetered on the brink of a different problem at its close:
ISRO is now the preferred agency for launching small satellites, thanks to its tried and tested PSLV. But the big money is in the heavy payloads. And, heavier satellites require the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). ISRO has the ambition and the ability to turn GSLV into its next warhorse.
This casting of the GSLV, presumably the Mk-III, as a super-soldier in the space-war arena – if that’s what it really is – could be misguided. Unlike SpaceX or Arianespace, but much like Roscosmos, ISRO is a state-backed space agency. It has a mandate from the Department of Space to be India’s primary launch-services provider and fulfil the needs of both private entities as well as the government, but government first, at least since that is how policies are currently oriented. This means the GSLV Mk-III has been developed keeping in mind the satellites India currently needs, or at least needs to launch without ISRO having to depend on foreign rockets.
A representative example is the GSAT satellite series, where each satellite weighs between three and four tonnes. Correspondingly, the Mk-III can lift up to 4,000 kg to the GTO. In the same vein, it is being developed according to what allocations it receives from the government as well as what priorities it can afford to set (for example: the prime minister recently asked ISRO to build a SAARC satellite, which the organisation must set time aside for). As it happens, even speculation about what the planned Reusable Launch Vehicle – expected to be ready around 2030 – will be used for has been centred around how it can improve India’s prospects in space. As M. Annadurai, the director of the ISRO Satellite Centre, Bengaluru, told Frontline magazine in June 2016:
From the overall launch vehicle point of view, now our efforts will be to match the satellites to this new RLV capability. RLV possibly can be used for, say, four-tonne satellites. Even for communication satellites, the present scenario of DTH and other things call for higher power, and because the overall mass of the satellites has gone up, it is still beyond the capability of our present launch vehicles. It is possible to have a configuration called all EPS – all electric propulsion system – even with four-tonne satellites, when with RLVs we can realise 6-6.5 tonne in LEO because satellites need not carry any fuel. Also, in case manned mission comes, RLV will be useful. Technologically, RLV will enable manned missions.
On the other hand, Arianespace and SpaceX are both almost exclusively market-driven, SpaceX less so because it was set up with the ostensible goal of colonising Mars. Nonetheless, en route to building the Falcon Heavy, the company has built a workhorse of its own in the Falcon 9. And either way, together with Arianespace, it has carved out a sizeable chunk of the satellite-launching market. For example, the heavier telecom-satellite launch contracts in 2015 were by:
Thus, though Antrix is tasked with maximising profits, ISRO shouldn’t bank on the commercial satellites market because its mix of priorities is more diverse than those of SpaceX or Arianespace.
Historical mandates for launchers
The PSLV is an extension of ISRO’s ASLV programme (the two launchers have an identical first stage). U.R. Rao writes about the PSLV’s origins in his book, India’s Rise as a Space Power, thus: “[It] was configured as an operational launch vehicle for launching 1,000 kg class of IRS remote sensing satellites into a polar Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 1,000 km from SHAR and a nominal azimuth of 140º” (p. 167). The official legacy of these specifications dates at least as far back as December 23, 1977, when Brahm Prakash, then director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (Thiruvananthapuram), constituted the ‘Committee on System Studies of Vehicle Configuration Options for SLV Variants’. (Slightly farther back if you factor in the work of M.S.R. Dev and A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.)
The GSLV, similarly, has been built to handle satellites like INSAT and GSAT – not to compete with the Ariane 5/6 or Falcon 9. As P.V. Manoranjan Rao and P. Radhakrishnan wrote in A Brief History of Rocketry in ISRO: “Kalpana, a meteorological satellite of ISRO, is an example. It weighed only 1,060 kg. However, we depended on foreign rockets to launch our INSATs. In order to fill this gap, the GSLV was conceived. The GSLV project obtained government approval in November 1990. The launch vehicle was to have the capability of injecting a 2,500-kg-class satellite into a GTO having perigee and apogee of 180km and 36,000 km, respectively” (p. 171).
Finally, while SpaceX and Arianespace profit from taking a larger bite out of the $300-billion satellite-launching industry, from government contracts and private investors, the single-largest source of income for ISRO, as those critiquing it have to be mindful, is the Indian government itself. Indeed, if it needs to augment this income (~Rs 9,000 crore, or $1.3 billion, in the 2017 Union budget) in an appreciable way – i.e. if it needs to increase to its market share from its current 0.6% – then the problems stretch far beyond the launchers alone and into matters of infrastructure, policy and, eventually, funding.
For example, as NewSpace enthusiast Narayan Prasad has written, “In the present model of engaging the local space industry in India, there is no extensive commercial exploitation of space infrastructure due to lack of deregulation and privatisation. Therefore, there is heavy reliance on the government for either space infrastructure to host services or orders to manufacture parts and systems.” An important, though not the only, step in alleviating this situation was ISRO’s decision to outsource PSLV launches from 2020 to a consortium of private industries led by Antrix.
For another, on the policymaking front itself, lawyer Ashok G.V. has argued, “The discretion vested with the committees and bodies under the [satellite communication] norms don’t come with deadlines prescribed for authorising [private parties to] launch satellite systems, nor is there an explicit policy framework for the exercise of such discretion – which potentially violates Article 14 of the Constitution.” And so forth.
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It's C25 stage, upper cryo.stage for both GSLV Mk3 as well as future HLV.
Kshatriya87
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The video says for next flight. Any details?
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I will examine after LVM3 is assembled.
If they use canted booster model with truss bar configuration, then yes, otherwise no.
Let's wait.
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Total Orbital Launches Planned this year:
12
PSLV: 7
GSLV Mk2: 3
GSLV Mk3/LVM3: 2
Others (non orbital):
Pad Abort Test
Landing Experiment of RLV
12
PSLV: 7
GSLV Mk2: 3
GSLV Mk3/LVM3: 2
Others (non orbital):
Pad Abort Test
Landing Experiment of RLV
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Akask kumar
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congratulations! this was the last and final test for the cryogenic stage.. next step will be the assembly of GSLV MK3 rocket . i pray for no further delay.
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salute
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the guy on news , gave space tech innovations credit to nehru .
Akask kumar
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FYI..
russia used an ICBM to launch the 37 satellite..
some video of ICBM converted into rocket called as DNEPR
isnt its amazing!!
russia used an ICBM to launch the 37 satellite..
some video of ICBM converted into rocket called as DNEPR
isnt its amazing!!
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Why the hell did they launch it hot from the missile silo? It was not an emergency launch right? Now they will have to refurbish the silo for extra $$$.
Am I missing something here?
Hey Everyone, I have decided to quit this forum. I have consistently noticed the overbearing attitude of the folks running this forum. They encourage folks who subscribe to their very narrow worldview - even if it comes with falsehoods, intimidation and insults; while at the same time they suppress facts, science and any view that maybe even narrowly different from their own. I am not very comfortable with authoritarian regimes.
It was fun interacting with several of you on very interesting topics. Most of you have a healthy curiosity and a thirst for learning - glad to be part of that mix!
It was fun interacting with several of you on very interesting topics. Most of you have a healthy curiosity and a thirst for learning - glad to be part of that mix!
Trinetra
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India can meet its energy requirements from Moon by 2030, says ISRO
New Delhi: A scientist associated with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday said that India can meet all its energy requirements from the Moon by 2030.
Sivathanu Pillai, a distinguished professor at ISRO said,'India's all energy requirements can be met through Helium-3 mined from the Moon'.
While delivering the valedictory address at the three-day ORF-Kalpana Chawla Space Policy Dialogue, organised by Observer Research Foundation, the ISRO scientist said,'By 2030, this process target will be met'.
Pillai, a former chief of BrahMos Aerospace, said that mining lunar dust which is rich in Helium-3 is a priority programme for the ISRO.
According to an ORF release, Pillai said other countries are also working on the project and there is enough helium on the moon, which can meet the energy requirements of the world.
Pillai noted,"In a few decades, people will be going to the moon for honey-moon".
Lt. Gen. P.M. Bali, Director General, Perspective Planning, Indian Army, said the launch of GSAT-7, India's first dedicated military satellite, is a testimony to the country's outlook towards using the outer space for national security.
He added that India possesses one of the largest constellations of communication and remote sensing satellites covering Asia Pacific.
Lt. Gen. Bali said although India continues with a civilian orientation to its space programme, the changing regional and global realities require it to also develop military assets in space and on ground as an emerging regional and global power.
He said there is a need for a dedicated military space programme with adequate resources at its disposal because of "the changing realities in our neighbourhood".
New Delhi: A scientist associated with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday said that India can meet all its energy requirements from the Moon by 2030.
Sivathanu Pillai, a distinguished professor at ISRO said,'India's all energy requirements can be met through Helium-3 mined from the Moon'.
While delivering the valedictory address at the three-day ORF-Kalpana Chawla Space Policy Dialogue, organised by Observer Research Foundation, the ISRO scientist said,'By 2030, this process target will be met'.
Pillai, a former chief of BrahMos Aerospace, said that mining lunar dust which is rich in Helium-3 is a priority programme for the ISRO.
According to an ORF release, Pillai said other countries are also working on the project and there is enough helium on the moon, which can meet the energy requirements of the world.
Pillai noted,"In a few decades, people will be going to the moon for honey-moon".
Lt. Gen. P.M. Bali, Director General, Perspective Planning, Indian Army, said the launch of GSAT-7, India's first dedicated military satellite, is a testimony to the country's outlook towards using the outer space for national security.
He added that India possesses one of the largest constellations of communication and remote sensing satellites covering Asia Pacific.
Lt. Gen. Bali said although India continues with a civilian orientation to its space programme, the changing regional and global realities require it to also develop military assets in space and on ground as an emerging regional and global power.
He said there is a need for a dedicated military space programme with adequate resources at its disposal because of "the changing realities in our neighbourhood".
Trinetra
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must be a pseudo liberal stooge or a Modi hater.. Al.jazeerz channel is full of these stooges..
Prayash
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How can india meet its energy requirements from moon? Are they going to send humans to establish a mining base or rovers?
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I have said many times earlier on main Lunar thread!:biggrin2:
http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/threads/indian-lunar-space-probes-and-exploration.77530/
As Chandrayaan 2 is going for studying sample on Moon for Titanium and Helium 3, I'm saying again,
We are not some sort of scientific angels who wanna work for well being of Universe or our so called brothers.
India doesn't care if it finds life anywhere else, if we land on Moon ever, we will get the resources hell out of it!
Kshatriya87
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ISRO, IAF may have to pay Government for getting precision timings
Now, ISRO and IAF may have to pay the government for getting accurate timings on par with the global standard for various activities like launch of satellites and flight operations. So far, the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has been extending the service free of cost to ISRO, IAF, Indian Railways, State Bank of India and several other agencies. The move is aimed at ramping up NPL’s chronometer infrastructure to match global standards. The NPL, one of the oldest laboratories in the country, maintains five atomic clocks, all synchronised with the atomic clock of the International Bureau of Weight and Measure, France. There are 300 such high precisions clocks across the globe linked to the Bureau in France. The accuracy of NPL’s chronometer is (+/-) 20 nano seconds, whereas the global accuracy standard is as low as (+/-) 5 nano seconds.
The NPL under the premier Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) held separate meetings with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) last week, conveying its plans to charge them for the services it offers. The plan is to charge Rs 1 crore per location where the service is provided, an NPL official said. Discussions are on to either issue a notification or bring in a legislation in this regard.
The NPL will also hold talks with its other customers like State Bank of India, India Railways and the Department of Telecommunications to discuss the issue.
The high precision timing has impact on the lives of people as services by agencies like ISRO, banks, railways and telecom operators use NPL services.
Agencies like ISRO trust the accurate timings during the launch of a satellite. In case of ISRO, timings are sent via satellite. Banks like SBI also subscribe to NPL services as high precision timing is required during forex transactions.
The CSIR, which comes under the Ministry of Science and Technology, plans to have 18 atomic clocks, a norm followed by all developed countries to maintain accuracy. Since several parts of north India fall under seismic zones, it also plans to develop a laboratory in south India.
“At present, we have five atomic clocks and we will get five more by the end of the year. But this is not enough considering the growing demand for accurate timings by subscribers for which we need to maintain quality.
“Secondly, research and developing the system has to be a continuous process to keep in pace with the global standard,” said NPL Director A K Aswal.
He said that under the ‘Dehradun Declaration’ of the CSIR, laboratories have to generate 40 per cent of revenue required on its own.
The NPL also plans to construct a separate building that can accommodate 18-20 atomic clocks and a data centre. This will alone cost Rs 500-600 crore.
“This requires a different kind of building free from any kind of vibration, electro-magnetic disturbances, radiation, humidity and temperature,” said Vijay Narain Ojha, chief scientist and head of Time & Frequency and Electrical & Electronics Meteorology Division.
The upkeep of the existing system is also expensive. The atomic clock requires low temperature without any power fluctuation.
“So, air-conditioners have to be in operation for 365 days a year and 24×7. Maintenance and research also adds to the cost,” Ashish Agarwal, another scientist at in the time and frequency section, said.
Apart from atomic clock, NPL also assists industries, national and other agencies in their developmental tasks by providing precision measurements, calibration, development of devices, processes, and other allied problems related to physics.
Now, ISRO and IAF may have to pay the government for getting accurate timings on par with the global standard for various activities like launch of satellites and flight operations. So far, the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has been extending the service free of cost to ISRO, IAF, Indian Railways, State Bank of India and several other agencies. The move is aimed at ramping up NPL’s chronometer infrastructure to match global standards. The NPL, one of the oldest laboratories in the country, maintains five atomic clocks, all synchronised with the atomic clock of the International Bureau of Weight and Measure, France. There are 300 such high precisions clocks across the globe linked to the Bureau in France. The accuracy of NPL’s chronometer is (+/-) 20 nano seconds, whereas the global accuracy standard is as low as (+/-) 5 nano seconds.
The NPL under the premier Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) held separate meetings with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) last week, conveying its plans to charge them for the services it offers. The plan is to charge Rs 1 crore per location where the service is provided, an NPL official said. Discussions are on to either issue a notification or bring in a legislation in this regard.
The NPL will also hold talks with its other customers like State Bank of India, India Railways and the Department of Telecommunications to discuss the issue.
The high precision timing has impact on the lives of people as services by agencies like ISRO, banks, railways and telecom operators use NPL services.
Agencies like ISRO trust the accurate timings during the launch of a satellite. In case of ISRO, timings are sent via satellite. Banks like SBI also subscribe to NPL services as high precision timing is required during forex transactions.
The CSIR, which comes under the Ministry of Science and Technology, plans to have 18 atomic clocks, a norm followed by all developed countries to maintain accuracy. Since several parts of north India fall under seismic zones, it also plans to develop a laboratory in south India.
“At present, we have five atomic clocks and we will get five more by the end of the year. But this is not enough considering the growing demand for accurate timings by subscribers for which we need to maintain quality.
“Secondly, research and developing the system has to be a continuous process to keep in pace with the global standard,” said NPL Director A K Aswal.
He said that under the ‘Dehradun Declaration’ of the CSIR, laboratories have to generate 40 per cent of revenue required on its own.
The NPL also plans to construct a separate building that can accommodate 18-20 atomic clocks and a data centre. This will alone cost Rs 500-600 crore.
“This requires a different kind of building free from any kind of vibration, electro-magnetic disturbances, radiation, humidity and temperature,” said Vijay Narain Ojha, chief scientist and head of Time & Frequency and Electrical & Electronics Meteorology Division.
The upkeep of the existing system is also expensive. The atomic clock requires low temperature without any power fluctuation.
“So, air-conditioners have to be in operation for 365 days a year and 24×7. Maintenance and research also adds to the cost,” Ashish Agarwal, another scientist at in the time and frequency section, said.
Apart from atomic clock, NPL also assists industries, national and other agencies in their developmental tasks by providing precision measurements, calibration, development of devices, processes, and other allied problems related to physics.
